Saide Current Awareness
2 September 2024

 

Distance Education

  • The Impact of Inquiry-Based Learning on Students' Critical Thinking in Biology Education Programs within Open and Distance Learning Systems Source: Indonesian Journal of Science Education This study's findings provide insights for curriculum developers and educators to optimize IBL implementation, thereby enhancing educational outcomes and fostering independent learning in distance education environments. Further research is suggested to refine this approach and ensure deeper understanding and application of scientific principles.  
  • Special Issue: Artificial Intelligence in Open and Distributed Learning: Does It Facilitate or Hinder Teaching and Learning? Source: International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning . This special issue which features 20 papers, each peer reviewed by at least two experts in the field.aims to explore the opportunities and challenges of AI in open and distributed learning, including distance education, hybrid learning, and blended learning, from multiple perspectives. We invited original research articles that address the following topics but were not limited to:
    • theoretical and conceptual frameworks for understanding and evaluating AI in open and distributed learning;
    • empirical studies on designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating AI applications like ChatGPT in open and distributed learning;
    • best practices and case studies on integrating AI into open and distributed learning curricula, pedagogies, and policies;
    • critical analyses and reflections on AI's ethical, legal, social, pedagogical, and technical implications in open and distributed learning; and
    • future trends for AI in open and distributed learning.  This special issue features 20 papers, each peer reviewed by at least two experts in the field.


   Education: South Africa

  • Professor Brian O’Connell: Visionary vice-chancellor hailed Source: University World News Professor Brian O’Connell, the respected former vice-chancellor of the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in South Africa, who died on 25 August, was hailed by South Africa’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, as a visionary leader with an unwavering commitment to an agenda promoting progressive education as a public good and for equality and social justice.
  • William Smith’s legacy points the way to fixing deep inequalities in the school system Source: Mail and Guardian William Smith, the beloved teacher whose televised lessons in maths and science became a lifeline for countless students, died on 21 August at the age of 85. For decades, Smith was a beacon of hope for learners across the country, especially those in under-resourced areas who lacked access to quality education. 
  • The cost of educating your child from Grade 1 to matric in South Africa Source:IOL Many South Africans are struggling to pay for their child’s education amid the rising cost of schooling, a deepening cost-of-living crisis, and several years of economic recession. In light of these costs, many parents are considering alternatives to traditional schooling, including the fast-growing options of online and homeschooling.
  • Western Cape education dept plans to cut 2 400 teachers posts, blames national govt budget cuts Source: IOL The Western Cape Education Department says about 2 400 teaching jobs will be cut next year. The department says the cuts will be effective from 1 January 2025. Education MEC David Maynier urged unions to join the fight to save teachers' jobs.
  • Stadio hits 50,000-student milestone Source: BusinessLive Stadio has achieved significant operational expansion in the past six months, with enrolment numbers up 10% at 47,024 students in the first semester. And this month the private education provider passed the milestone of having 50,000 students enrolled across its three registered private higher education institutions, with numbers increasing to 50,435 from 46,912 in August 2023...
  • What rights to accessing education, healthcare and other vital services do migrants have? Source: Daily Maverick ‘There are various pathways and provisions in the law that recognise that people should not be stateless, and we are failing to ensure that these people have papers,’ says Global Movement Against Statelessness’ Christy Chitengu.


Language, Literacies, Research Writing and Publishing

  • AI Feedback in Mid-Level Writing Classrooms Source: Substack Terry Underwoods' latest blog "In the service of language and literacy for all" looks at feedback and writing.
  • Can you spell the word that decided this Joburg Spelling Bee competition? Source: GroundUp Dozens of learners from inner-city schools competed in the 2nd Windybrow Arts Centre Spelling Bee competition
  • Study finds high plagiarism levels in ‘hijacked journals’ Source: University World News The high percentage of plagiarism in papers submitted to ‘hijacked journals’, mostly by scholars from developing, emerging market or ex-Soviet countries, poses a threat to scientific integrity, according to recent research.
    Authored by Anna Abalkina at the Institute for East European Studies, Freie Universität Berlin in Germany, a study, published in Accountability in Research on 17 August, defines hijacked journals as “cloned websites of legitimate journals, imitating them by copying their titles and ISSN, aiming to deceive potential authors into submitting their work and paying publication fees”.

Open Access, Open Education and Open Educational Resources

  • Survey: Cost of Course Materials Impacts Student Success Source: Inside Higher Education New data from Bay View Analytics found the price of textbooks and other class materials has negatively impacted many students’ ability to enroll in courses or resulted in a nonpassing grade.
  • Modern Blueprint for College and Career Success Source: PressBook This OER, a Pressbook publication, is  a post-pandemic student guide for classroom and career success, covering student success strategies, self-management, career development, health and wellness, self and cultural awareness, social development, and financial literacy. Modern Blueprint includes relevant content for students attending college with an equity perspective.

   Post Schooling

  • University leadership in the digital age: challenges, opportunities, and critical actions Source: JOODDE In the context of universities with Western traditions in democratic countries, a former Canadian university president offers a critical perspective on university leadership today, outlining a tsunami of new challenges that have rendered the job both more daunting and more important than ever and suggesting strategies for meeting them. The digital age has brought not only a bewildering array of information and communication technologies to choose from, but new expectations for equality of opportunity, equity, diversity and inclusion that have a direct impact on leadership roles. The analysis pertains as much to conventional universities as to ODDE institutions as changing social norms and rapid technological innovations blur the distinctions between them. These developments have critical implications for the success or failure of university leaders, seriously challenging prevailing university models in the process.
  • New frameworks of reference stir hope for academic freedom Source: University World News 
    The emergence around the world, at different levels, of new frameworks of reference for academic freedom, which contribute to a puzzle of overlapping older and more recent frameworks, is a remarkable recent development that provides many positive signs and reasons for hope.
  • Five new universities coming to South Africa Source: Business Tech Over the next decade, South Africa will launch two new government universities and three new private tertiary education hubs. South Africa currently has 26 official universities owned by the government, with two more in development.
  • Universities’ commitment to social justice in spotlight Source: University World News Higher education institutions in the 21st century must leave their ivory towers to form diverse democratic partnerships with other institutions and stakeholders, locally and globally, as agents for democracy, human rights, equity and change. 
    Ylva Rodny-Gumede, a professor of communication studies and a senior director of the Division for Global Engagement, University of Johannesburg (UJ) in South Africa, said the main aim of higher education institutions should be to educate students about democracy and community and global engagement, in the interest of finding solutions to common problems and fostering solidarity and unity.
  • Maye Musk launches scholarships for nutrition students Source: University World News  Dr Maye Musk, the mother of popular businessman and SpaceX founder, Elon Musk, has founded a scholarship to support students who intend to study nutrition or dietetics at the University of the Free State (UFS) in South Africa, writes Noxolo Sibiya for News24.
    The university said on Tuesday 27 August that the scholarship aimed to provide annual financial support to two students for two years. “The Dr Maye Musk Scholarship represents a significant step towards providing support for top-achieving students who wish to pursue a full-time masters degree,” the university said in a statement.
  • BRICS cooperation in the field of education Source: TVBRICS On November 18, 2015, the Ministers of Education of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and Russia signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the Establishment of the BRICS Network University in Moscow under the Russian BRICS Chairmanship. This event was a landmark in the development of educational cooperation among the BRICS countries, opening the way for new joint initiatives and projects..

Skills and Employment

Teaching and Learning: Local and Global

  • Education and the working class: Is there a hope for an inclusive approach? Source: GoogelBooks  Why do so many working-class and vulnerable children struggle in the education system? Education and the Working Class by Sigamoney Manicka Naicker argues that education remains centred on a middle-class narrative that ignores the lived realities of the poor and marginalised. We dissect how a lack of sociological perspective and commitment to social justice has perpetuated an inflexible system that is failing vulnerable communities. This book provides a cutting analysis of why interventions have failed to solve various issues and explores the limitations of special education and current inclusive policies. The bureaucracy itself is scrutinised, calling for reformed teams combining disciplinary
  • Exploring gaps in the quality assurance of micro-credentials: a global mapping review of current practices Source: JODDE This paper reports the findings of an analysis of international quality standards, practices and supports for the QA of micro-credentials. There are three parts to the study: i) a global review of the external QA of micro-credentials; ii) a focus on the internal QA of micro-credentials at the institutional level; and iii) an effort to identify some of the supports available for the development of high-quality micro-credentials. The research, undertaken in the first quarter of 2023 involved desk research, follow-up interviews and informant conversations with critical actors in QA agencies and early adopter institutions to answer three main questions: i) how are national QA agencies in OECD member countries externally assuring the quality of micro-credentials?; ii) what internal QA practices have early adopter institutions developed to implement micro-credentials?; and (iii) what institutional supports, resources, and infrastructures are available to create high-quality micro-credentials? The findings reveal a mixed picture. Most national QA agencies have yet to intentionally respond to micro-credentials, although some indicate they plan to do so in the future. QA agencies in a handful of countries have deliberately adopted common frameworks and standards for micro-credentials, with only three countries having developed specific standards or QA processes. The institutional response to the internal QA of micro-credentials is relatively immature and largely invisible based on publicly available information. The findings provide a valuable benchmark to monitor progress in responding to future fit-for-purpose QA of micro-credentials.
  • Interdisciplinary Studies: Preparing Students for a Complex World Source: Faculty Focus Let’s embark on an imaginative journey to the year 2100, where the boundaries of humanity extend to Mars. This ambitious undertaking demands technical expertise and embodies the true essence of interdisciplinary collaboration. Our mission: establish a self-sustaining colony on the Red Planet. This requires the seamless integration of knowledge and skills across various disciplines to address Mars’s multifaceted challenges. 
  • Making group work work: how to enable successful student collaboration Source: Times Higher Education How can we help students collaborate without weighing down staff with extra admin? First-year interdisciplinary research projects could be the answer
  • Harness the power of ‘I wonder’ in your teaching Source: Times Higher Education By embracing the power of ‘I wonder’, we can transform our physical and virtual classrooms into dynamic spaces for exploration and discovery, creating a more inclusive and responsive educational atmosphere

Technology-Enhanced Learning

  • University leadership in the digital age: challenges, opportunities, and critical actions Source: JOODDE In the context of universities with Western traditions in democratic countries, a former Canadian university president offers a critical perspective on university leadership today, outlining a tsunami of new challenges that have rendered the job both more daunting and more important than ever and suggesting strategies for meeting them. The digital age has brought not only a bewildering array of information and communication technologies to choose from, but new expectations for equality of opportunity, equity, diversity and inclusion that have a direct impact on leadership roles. The analysis pertains as much to conventional universities as to ODDE institutions as changing social norms and rapid technological innovations blur the distinctions between them. These developments have critical implications for the success or failure of university leaders, seriously challenging prevailing university models in the process.
  • AI-Powered Instructional Design at ASU Source:Substack  Dr. Phillipa Hardman's latest blogpost provide a summary of how faculty, staff and students at ASU, the "Arizona State University (ASU) - one of the world’s most innovative universities" which has  partnered with with OpenAI. "  are starting to reimagine education in the age of AI, and explore what this means for the instructions designers who work there.
  • Terrific Tools for Teachers Source: Wondertools  Jeremy Caplans latest post on various tools for workshops or class activities 
  • Revolutionising classrooms with AI: Educators' insights on transformative opportunities and challenges Source: Ubiquity Proceedings This paper examines the transformation opportunities of AI in education, focusing on its benefits and challenges from the perspectives of educators. The research methodology involves a qualitative study with practising educators who were students enrolled in a master's program in education at an open distance education university in South Africa. Data collection is conducted through an online discussion forum. The paper concludes that while AI offers exciting transformative opportunities such as personalised learning and effective education, it should be used wisely, complementing traditional teaching methods. It emphasises addressing biases, overuse, plagiarism, and data privacy issues. The study emphasises the need for more information on educator’s use and perceptions to pave the way for AI to complement educators and, in so doing, benefit all educators and students equally
  • How to Use ChatGPT at Work Source: OffersHubspot  Discover the key to unlocking unparalleled productivity with this ultimate guide to revolutionizing your workflow. Plus, 100 prompt ideas to help you unleash the power of generative AI. Meet your ultimate guide to tapping into the powerful capabilities of ChatGPT and amplifying your productivity. This eBook provides a comprehensive understanding of ChatGPT's functionalities, equipping you with the knowledge to streamline workflows, accelerate decision-making, foster collaboration, and implement best practices. Get ready to revolutionize your workday and unlock unparalleled efficiency with ChatGPT! (it is free)